Folding bed



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. L. SHEPARDSON.

FOLDING BED.

8 m M w; m m. j m 5. w y m P w 8. J m, i w m 7 N g L J N PETERS, Pholotilhognpher. Washington. 0 c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. L. SHEPARDSON;

. FOLDING BED. No. 389,018. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

N. PETERi Phuiwmmgnplmn Washington. 11 c.

Cthnrrnn STATES PATENT @i rica.

PERRY L. SHEPARDSOII, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING BED.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,018, dated Septembezs, 1888.

Application filed February 6, 1858. Serial No. 163,107.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERRY L. Sunrnnosou, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittslield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvcmentin Folding Beds,of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate more particularly to that class known as cribs, and in which sides and ends are required to retain infants upon the bed, and have for their object the provision of means for folding the bedstead,as well as the mattress or other bedding, together compactly; and my invention consists in the combination and construction as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a plan view of my improved bedstead. Fig. II is an end elevation of the frame in section on the dotted line w :r of Fig. I. Fig. III is an elevation in section of the frame on the dotted line pg of Fig. Land showing also a portion of the bed-bottom. Fig. IV is a plan view of the device folded. Fig. V is an end elevation of the device in onestage of being folded, and Fig. VI is an end elevation in section through the frame on the dotted line z z of Fig. IV.

I3 is the frame of folding crib and consisting of the posts 6 at the four corners rising above the sides and ends and prolonged be low them to supply the legs, the sides 0, supplied at their inner sides and lower edges with cleats cl or other means for supporting the bed-bottom, and ends e, hinged to the posts I), and formed each in two sections united centrally by hinges to admit of their folding inward to permit the sides to approach. These general features are old, and, together with a bottom in two sections hinged to the sides to drop down as the ends are folded, constitute the folding crib in general use; but heretofore it has not been practieableto use soft or spring bed-bottoms with folding cribs, and it has been necessary to remove the mattress or bedding before folding the crib, to be restored only when the crib is unfolded for use, to obviate which disadvantages, by the use of a woven or other flexible bed-bottom, and the provision of means for folding the bed-bottom (No model.)

and mattress, or other bedding supported thereby, with the rest of the folding niechanism, is the object of the present improvements.

H is the frame of a bed bottom adapted to pass within the sides 0 of theframe B and rest upon the cleats d. The ends proper, h, of the bed-bottom have a space between them opposite the joints in the ends a, which space is bridged by a bar, *5, hinged at its ends at 2" to the opposite ends h. The barf lies upon the sides ofends 7i, and proiections 0 from the ends it extend over the bar 13 inside of the hinges i and bear upon it, so that the ends it are in ef fect rigid to resist weight applied from above, but have a double joint capable of being broken from below to leave the ends it as far removed as the distance between the joints '5.

From side to side of the frame His stretched a flexible web or membrane, I, care being taken not to let the end edges of said web extend over the ends h, which would be to tie them from swinging on the hinges i.

Extending vertically upon the inner sides of posts b, and to points above the highestextent of the ends 0, and secured to said posts are four ways, 9, (shown formed ofstont wire,) and tied to these ways by eyes in, which are also hinges, is the frame H. The npper ends of the ways ,1 form stops, and the eyes in are loose enough upon the wire forming the ways to permit the ends it to be swung upon said Ways as upon a hinge.

\Vhen from the extended position shown in Fig. I it is desired to fold the crib,t-he bottom frame, H, with its mattress, is slid up upon the ways until stopped, indicated in Fig. II, in a position clear above the ends e, a slight upward push is given ends 7i to throw the hinges t" out of line, and the ends 6 are folded inward, as shown in Fig. V, to bring the bed-bottom and its mattress into the position shown in the same fignre,from which position it is slid down upon the ways 9 to rest upon the folded ends a, as shown in Figs. IV and VI.

Ample space is left between the sides a and the bed-bottom I for the mattress and bedding, and the folded frame H, when in the position shown in Fig. VI, holds the rest of the parts firmly and compactly folded.

To prepare the folded crib for use, the bedbottom is slid up to the position seen in Fig. V, when the act of straightening the ends 6 also brings the bed-bottom into position to be slid to rest upon the cleats cl.

Now,having described myinvention, what I claim is I 1. The within -described improved combined folding bedstead and bed-bottom, consisting ofposts Z), sides 0, inwardly-folding ends 6, and means, as d, for supporting a bed-bottom, a bed-bottom consisting of a frame, H, adapted to have its sides rest within the sides a, a flexible bottom, I, and ends h, to one side of the bottom I, and hinged, as shown and described, to form a joint, breaking upward to leave an interval between adjacent ends h as great as the thickness ot'the folded ends e,and ways in the posts I), having stops above the ends 6, combined with eyes in frame H,adaptcd to follow upon said ways and form a hinge thereupon, all combined and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In folding cribs, the combination, with sides, corner-posts, and inwardly-folding ends, of a bed-bottom consisting of a frame, H, adapted to rest within the crib-sides, a flexible bottom, I, stretched from side to side of frame H, ends h outside of the bottom I and having their corresponding ends separated by a space, bars 2', extending between adjacent ends h and hinged thereto, projections 0 from ends h, arranged to bear upon bars i between the hinges, ways g from posts b,and eyes holding the bed-bottom to the posts, all arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

PERRY L. SHEPARDSON.

WVitnesses:

R. F. HYDE, J ASON PERKINS. 

